MOON TOWNSHIP (KDKA) – Investigators spent all day Sunday searching through debris and the wreckage caused by a house explosion in Moon Township Saturday night.

And they did find something that led to an arrest.

While searching through the rubble, the house next door to the explosion caught the attention of police. While checking on the welfare of the residents, they say they smelled a strong odor of marijuana.

Police also say a neighbor called to say they witnessed the resident, William Amend, cutting down some type of plant in the back yard, that could have been marijuana plants.

Later, once inside, they found marijuana and guns – police were able to spot it via the damage that was done to the house.

Police say they found between 15 and 16 large marijuana plants – and that was just the beginning. In fact, there was so much, they had to lay out a tarp in the yard and pile it up.

They also found grow lights inside the house and guns, including eight rifles, a .357 magnum and boxes of ammunition.

The homeowner was not inside the house when police raided the home.

“God works in strange ways , you know?” neighbor Lori Lucier said. “Yeah, he opens up some doors and that’s a big door to open up – it’s shocking.”

Some were not concerned by what was found at the house.

“It doesn’t bother me at all, he was a good person, he would have done anything you asked him to do – very helpful, you know, a good kid basically,” another neighbor said.

Police say Amend was arrested when he showed up at the police station asking when he could go back into his house.

Amend is currently in the Allegheny County Jail awaiting arraignment.
Stay with KDKA for more information.